user
In the following example, identify and explain the rhetorical device being used.

Now complete the following instance -
Input: He was absent-mindedly staring at the clouds, as if they were painting a picture in front of him.
Output:
assistant
The rhetorical device being used in this example is personification, which gives human characteristics to non-human objects. In this example, the clouds are being given an ability to "paint a picture" in front of the person, which is normally a human activity.